Chapter 3: reconciliation and regret

Cackles of laughter echoed from the other side of the door as its hinges creaked open. A muggy old man reached through door, grabbed Dave by the collar and threw him in on the floor. The cackles, hissing, and cheers of laughter all came to a standstill as an aura of silence overcame them all.

A giant silhouette resembling a man wearing a long torn robe cast its shadow to the right of the bar. Dave turned around slowly, as he attempted to hide his fear. To no avail, the old men could smell Dave’s intentions and his fear as his eyes locked with fiddlesticks.

“My boy… you’re not from these parts are yee?” He cackled as he picked Dave up and patted his back wiping off the dust and almost knocking Dave himself off the floor.

The man was a rather large brute. His one eye seemed to work but the other not so much. He didn’t seem very mean, or at least he didn’t let on any ill intentions from the get go. He had a strange sense of charismatic charm to him, in a weird, oddly sort of way.

“You don’t know who i am, do you?” He asked of Dave , grinning from cheek to cheek, eyes closed.

“…no, I’m afraid not.” He said after a long pause.

“I’m the first thing you didn’t create. That’s right, there are things here you didn’t create.. heck, it’s a room chock full of em my boy” fiddlesticks laughed.

Dave looked around the groggy musty old room that reeked of beer and disgust. He saw many creatures there, there was an air of tension that Dave couldn’t quite comprehend.

“Why the long face? We’ve been waiting for you… expecting you! You’re the star of the show tonight! And I’m fiddlesticks, your host!” The man grimaced while holding back a seething amount of rage

“You don’t know so i suppose it cant be helped, but your father and i go back real far. Used to be so close, through thick and thin… “ a surreal air of calm came about the place as fiddlesticks paused… “used to be! Before he betrayed me and left me for dead that is”

Dave slowly backed away from the menacing man before backing into another man in a trenchcoat. The man thrust his arms around Dave and before he could even comprehend what was happening he was thrust into a chair and tied to it with his arms bound.

“Oh don’t be in such a hurry my boy, we’re not going to hurt you, no… too much on the line for that you see, your old fiddle sticks is quite the gambler and your gonna be our winning bid.”

“Besides, id bet you love to hear about how your fathers been doing right? Quite the man… controls the entire east continent and even now his influence grows further still to the west where we lie now…”

Stolen story; please report.

“We could have had it all… all of it!” The man proclaimed while smashing the bottle of whiskey onto the table.

Dave flinched in fear, trying desperately to overcome and understand but to no avail, he had never seen this man before and why was he claiming to know his father. Dave was scared out of his mind. He wanted to go home! The man grinned an eerie smile and calmed himself once more.

“But alas, it was not meant to be, for i, the first bloodbeast must be pitied. Right men?! Take a look around Dave, for each and every one you see in here is a blood beast just like me”

“Bloo.. blood beast?” Dave asked

“Came from the world itself, forged of the dust and blood of the land… each one a self proclaimed king and way out of the madness of this world that you yourself created!”

Dave thought they were all mad, a room full of complete lunatics, but if he spoke now or rather, if he didn’t hold his tongue he very well may find himself dead. He gulped and kept his thoughts to himself.

“But it was for naught.. for the world’s ring is an insatiable beast in its own right.. always trying to complete another perfect beast. I was but the first of many.. and now, it’s become altogether complacent.. it doesn’t think we’re worthy, rather, it’s trying to destroy those that it created. Do you understand my boy?”

Dave nodded out of fear

fiddlesticks chucked “ahaha your an amusing boy, you lie out of fear for there’s no way you could understand the situation of the world just from that, ahhh but i like that about you Dave, you seem to understand the situation your in at least… you do understand correct?”

Dave nodded again, albeit this time, at a slower pace.

“Good, then here’s the deal, I’m a blood beast, whoever my blood touches i can make a pact with.. a solemn oath between us. Forsake the oath and you die! Pretty easy rules eh? I’ll gamble that you will become king and if you do, I’m entitled to half of the spoils. I’m talking gold, land, riches, people, anything and everything.”

“Unfortunately were running low on time you see, the worlds ring has already begun reclaiming the bloodbeasts it created, me being one of those you can see my predicament cant you?” Fiddle sticks grinned while bearing his silver lined teeth.

“The way i see it, we’ve got about 2 more years till the worlds ring reclaims all the bloodbeasts.. so be a lad and become king by then will ya? That’s your time limit. But Fret not young one, your ol lad fiddlesticks doesn’t make gambles that hes not capable of winning, your odds however small they may be, are still not looking too shabby”

“Jonny! The lever!” Fiddle sticks yelled out to one of his crew, and a hissing noise overcame the bar.

“This is another passage way that leads straight to town! A final parting gift, Convenient no? Take this path and make haste, you’ll need to find the world’s ring, but before that you must become a capable king so it will find you worthy in its eyes.”

Dave, who had somewhat calmed down had composed himself enough to ask of fiddlesticks about the world’s ring.

“This.. this worlds ring you keep on speaking of, what exactly is it? Am i to assume I’m looking for an actual ring? How on earth is it alive? This all makes no sense” Dave proclaimed

“The world’s ring is capable of taking many shapes, a shapeshifter using the very ground itself. Ayy, finding it will be no easy task.. but if your clever, you may find ways… a token bit of advice before you go, trust no one… oh, and be wary of blood..” he cackled as the door opened behind him.

Dave was untied and led to the door as it started to close behind him.. he turned around to get one last glimpse of fiddlesticks and while still scared, he was more so annoyed that he trusted him and was now being used in this scheme of his.

The large metal door thrust shut firmly in place, and the only option, once again, was forward, watching for the next dimly lit lantern in this crude passageway underground. But sure enough Dave eventually came to see a light, the light became bigger and soon enough it led out of a small cave that overlooked a sea side town.